Top Lashkar guerrilla arrested in Kashmir

A top guerrilla of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) responsible for the killing of a police officer and other terror attacks has been arrested in Jammu and Kashmir’s Badgam district, an defence spokesman said Sunday.

“A joint team of the army and the state police apprehended a top LeT terrorist from Badipora area of Badgam district,” said the spokesman.

“Based on a specific intelligence input regarding presence of a LeT terrorist in village Badipora of tehsil Chadoora of Badgam, a joint operation was launched by the army and the state police at approximately 6.30 p.m. yesterday (Saturday).

“During the operation, the joint team successfully apprehended a top LeT terrorist, who was later identified as Abdul Lateef Rather, a resident of village Badipora. An AK-47, two magazines and around 60 rounds of ammunition were also recovered from the apprehended terrorist.

“Abdul Lateef Rather is a category ‘A’ terrorist and is the right hand man of LeT commander of south Kashmir, Abu Qasim,” he added.

The spokesman said Rather has been active since last three years and was involved in many terror-related activities including hotel Silver Star attack in Srinagar last year and in the killing of the station house officer (SHO), Chadoora, Shabir Ahmed.

“An FIR has been registered and the apprehended terrorist had been handed over to the local police station,” the spokesman added.